Firefly
by jquackers
Summary: Chie and Aoi go for a nighttime walk, and Chie finally fulfills one of Aoi's wants. FLUFF ALERT! -ChieAoi-


**A/N:** I decided to write a story featuring Chie and Aoi, my favorite couple (YES, even over ShizNat! -prepares for the attack of the ShizNat fans-), because I love the two so much. Consider all OOC (resulting from not writing in a long time) as AU.

I've been assaulted by TONS of ideas lately, for whatever reason, but I can't seem to get them down into the words I want. They're coming along slowly, though, so you'll probably be seeing more from me for a while. I'm just hoping this inspiration will last a long time; long enough for me to get all my ideas out there before I give up on them completely. -smacks self-

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Mai HiME, I wouldn't be sitting here writing right now. I'd be frolicking somewhere far, far away from here, where I live (which is currently nothing but a hellhole). I'm in damned desperate need of a vacation (excuse the language).

* * *

**Firefly**

I looked up into the darkening sky, seeing the shining full moon. My heart fluttered as I thought of my plans, and I couldn't help but to feel extremely excited.

_It's perfect._

I stood outside the house, the slight breeze ruffling my short black hair. I readjusted my glasses so they wouldn't slip off the bridge of my nose. My eyes wandered over to the window and I smiled as I saw the light of the room turn off. Soon after, the front door opened and I let a grin spread across my face as a figure came into view.

"Hey," I said softly, taking her in with my eyes. She shut the door behind her and my heart fluttered as she walked forward, a spring in her step. When we were face to face, she leaned forward and gave me a kiss on the lips, her index fingers hooked behind her back. She pulled away quickly; too quickly for my liking.

"Hey to you too." She gave me a teasing wink, causing me to pout and cross my arms in response.

"That wasn't fair, Aoi," I mumbled and turned away.

"Oh, come on. You do that to me all the time!" She smiled and walked up behind me, wrapping her arms around my waist. I leaned back into the embrace, lacing our fingers together.

"I know." I sighed in contentment. "Now I know how you feel when I do it to you." I turned my head to look into her eyes, a lazy grin spreading across my face. "But it doesn't mean I'm going to stop doing it!" I laughed heartily, spirits lifting.

She huffed in response, wiggling her fingers and freeing her arms from my grasp. I immediately missed the contact, yearning for her warmth once again. I turned around to see her pouting, cheeks puffed out. I chuckled at the glare she sent me, and I couldn't help but to reach over and pull her into my arms.

I held her close, one arm around her waist while the other was around her shoulders. I buried my face into the side of her head, closing my eyes. I took a deep breath, inhaling her fresh scent.

She raised her arms to wrap around me, bringing us even closer. I smiled against her hair, feeling my heart beat so much faster. She rested her head against my shoulder and I rested my cheek against her head, both of us relishing the moment.

"Say it." Her whisper was soft against my body, but my ears still caught it. I opened my eyes and stared at her, not moving my head.

"Say what?" I feigned ignorance, unwilling to say what she wanted me to say.

"You know what I'm talking about," she mumbled. Her grip around me tightened, making me lower my eyes in shame and guilt.

"Let's go," I said, avoiding her request. I let go of her, even though I didn't want to, and glanced down. She avoided eye contact, but didn't release her hold on me. I smiled slightly at the thought, but it disappeared instantly when I realized she was hiding the tears that were threatening to fall from her eyes. My heart broke at the sight, and I clenched my teeth tightly together, inwardly smacking myself atop the head.

"It's been half a year, and you still haven't said it." Her voice cracked halfway through the sentence, and tears began to fall.

"Aoi.." The name slipped through my lips. I reached up to cup her cheeks, softly brushing away the tears with my thumb. She finally looked into my eyes and smiled sincerely. Though I saw a glimpse of pain, I relaxed because I knew she would be alright; eventually, if not now.

She brought her hand up to hold mine, gently bringing them away from her cheeks and down to my side. I half expected her to let go, but she didn't. Instead, she entwined our fingers together.

"You're right; let's go." She tugged me along, letting me catch up a bit before she reached over with her free hand and hugged my arm against her chest. Her eyes stared straight ahead, tears no longer falling. I smiled at her strength and stuffed my free hand into the pocket of my jeans.

_Soon, Aoi. You don't have to wait anymore. I'll stop your suffering.  
I promise._

We headed down the road, smiles adorning both of our faces. Despite not having said anything concerning where we were going, we both knew our destination; words weren't needed to tell each other. We just knew.

Our heart told us.

Our steps were in sync as we walked in a comfortable silence, neither of us wishing to break it. Our surroundings slowly changed, the area getting less and less corrupted by human hands. Before we knew it, we were walking along a small stream. The tall grass underneath our feet was a healthy green.

Here, it smelled like nothing but nature. And I loved it.

I looked up at the night sky once again, noting the numerous stars up ahead. My footsteps stopped so I could concentrate on the view rather than walking. Aoi stopped as well, her gaze following my own. I glanced down at her awed expression and a smile crept up to my lips, heart warming with many emotions.

I took in a deep breath and looked around me, realizing we arrived. It was our special place; no one else knew about it, or so it seemed. Either way, it held a place in our hearts, as it was where we met.

Where our lives mingled.

I gently nudged Aoi with the arm she was hugging and lowered myself to the ground. I waited for her to do the same before I laid down on my back, staring up at the stars once again.

_Beautiful. Just like Aoi._

I looked over to her, then down at our entwined fingers. I smiled and turned over on my side to face her, keeping our hands together. She turned her head and looked over to me, eyes questioning.

I only smiled back at her and let go of her hand, moving forward to burrow my face into the nape of her neck. I draped my arm over her waist protectively, and she held me with her arms. I let my other arm rest on the ground a distance away from her head, making it comfortable for both of us.

We just laid there, enjoying the relaxing sounds of water rolling across the bare rocks, leaves rustling in the wind, and the glistening stars up ahead. Enjoying each other's company. After all, it was more than either of us could ever ask for.

Time seemed endless. Neither of us knew how long we had been laying there, but it didn't matter.

_Because we're together._

I moved my head to look up at Aoi's face, taking in her familiar features. She looked down and our gazes met. Her eyes sparkled, more beautifully than even the brightest of stars.

I lifted myself off of her, moving to hover over her body. My hands were placed by her shoulders, supporting my weight. I gazed into her eyes, taking note of all the love I saw in them. I smiled softly. Slowly lowering my body onto hers, I helped support my weight with my lower arms, which rested on the ground by each side of Aoi's head.

"Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?" I brought one hand up to stroke her cheek lovingly, relishing the sight of her blush.

"Do you know how charming you are?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at me. I laughed softly and moved my face closer to hers. My hand traveled away from her cheek to stroke her hair, playing with the silky strands.

"You know," I started, pausing to think of the right words to say. "I'm sorry for hurting you for so long." I rested my forehead against hers, staring deeply into her eyes, as if searching for something.

"It's alright," she whispered, bringing her arms up to wrap around my neck. We closed our eyes, a comfortable silence sweeping over us.

We stayed in the position for a little while longer before I pulled away, just slightly. She opened her eyes and stared up at me, eyes glowing with happiness. I sighed and closed my eyes. I took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly to gather myself. My eyes flickered open once again, and I stared her in the eyes, no playfulness present.

"I love you, Aoi." I swooped down for a kiss, closing my eyes right as our lips met. I smiled into it as I thought of the surprise I had glimpsed on her face, heart skipping in happiness.

_Finally.. Your heart can be at ease._

And just as Aoi's eyes fluttered shut, a soft smile spreading across her features as well, the fireflies rose from the grass around them, surrounding the two with their soft glow.. the new symbol of their love.


End file.
